Tory Minister: "Spend aid abroad to stop flooding in the UK"

[dutchman]

Britain’s international aid budget will help reduce flooding in the UK by addressing the causes of climate change abroad, Eric Pickles has said.



Mr Pickles rejected "populist" calls from Ukip and some Tory MPs that money should be diverted from foreign aid budgets to support British people suffering from the effects of flooding suggesting instead that money spent in a "sustainable" way will help alleviate extreme weather in the UK.

Mr Pickles, the communities Minister who is leading the Government's response to the flooding, said on Sky News: “It’s an easy hit, its populist hit. We will be able to do all this without having to touch he aid budget. And if it is truly global warming, and our aid is sustainable aid, then aid that we are offering in other parts of the world will have an effect in terms of the things that happen in this country.”

Asked if it was a “bit of a stretch” that money spent overseas would have an effect in Somerset Mr Pickles said: “Our aid is pretty much targeted to help those in the greatest need. It's well targeted in dealing with infection and inoculation but I think it is possible to be able to offer help to people throughout the world at the poorest level, without it taking away anything from the people of Somerset."

Mr Pickles said: “I am somebody that believes in climate change I believe it is something that we need to come to redress with but I don’t think that every fluctuation we see in the weather relates to climate change ... but the consequences, whether it is climate change or a fluctuation, the consequences are exactly the same.”

Nigel Farage, the Ukip leader, has accused the Government of a “lethargic and inadequate” response to the floods and said foreign aid spending should be suspending while the floods crisis was tackled.

Farage said it was ''basic common sense'' to suspend international aid while the country was dealing with the aftermath of recent extreme weather.

''Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows that a government's primary duty is to the well-being of its own citizens. Charity begins at home and it is not mean-spirited to say that, it is just basic common sense.”

[rebbonk]

Pickles needs to get his head from up his